NRC finds problem with Pa. nuke plant attack drill

The federal Nuclear Regulatory Commission has found problems with a safety drill meant to simulate a terrorist attack against a western Pennsylvania nuclear power plant.

Officials with the NRC and FirstEnergy Corp., which owns the Beaver Valley Nuclear Power Station, have acknowledged the problems, but haven't specified what happened or said how severe the potential violation might have been.

It occurred in April when the plant about 30 miles northwest of Pittsburgh held the drill.

The NRC says it can't detail the problem for fear of releasing information that could help someone who really wanted to attack the plant. But company spokeswoman Jennifer Young says FirstEnergy doesn't believe the problem was with the company's security plan, but rather with how it conducted the drill.

The NRC says the problem was corrected before its inspectors left the plant.